On November 6, the Government of Serbia made a decision on the foundation Faculty of Serbian Studies, University of Niš. That decision was published in the Official Gazette on November 7.
It envisages that the departments of history, Serbian studies and Russian language and literature with Philosophical separate to a new faculty.
This decision was condemned by the Management of the Faculty in Niš, the Free University, but also the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade from the Department of Serbian Literature with South Slavic Literatures.
This Chair announced that since "the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education are university teachers who must be very familiar with the procedures for establishing new university institutions", in this decision they recognize the intention to "place their own will and power above not only good academic customs but also the law, and not the desire to improve the study of scientific fields of national importance".
Nobody knew anything.
Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Niš and former dean of this faculty Natalija Jovanovic he says for "Vreme" that no one knew anything about it.
"It's a shame that the new administration didn't know anything about it, nor the colleagues who are directly affected by it, and who they are trying to transfer or who imagined that they should be transferred to that new faculty. The decision is shameful. It is arbitrariness and behind it are the party and personal interests of individuals who belong to one party, that is, to some new Movement for the People and the State," says Jovanović.
Photo: Vesna Lalić/RadarProfessor of the Faculty of Philosophy, Natalija Jovanović
When asked what exactly this personal interest represents, our interlocutor answers: "It means exactly that it is necessary for them to show how they imagined that the faculty should look like today in Serbia, that they can do whatever they want, choose and hire daughters-in-law, aunts, sisters, wives, daughters, whoever comes to their mind. No criteria for elections are valid, but they are disguised by some kind of national interests, which are actually false and insincere. No national interest is at risk, especially not in Niš".
"Politika" wrote that the establishment of this higher education institution is of national importance, and that it "symbolizes the return of state and social attention to identity disciplines, as well as an effort to preserve the cultural self-awareness and historical continuity of the Serbian people in the era of globalism."
Approval or condemnation
The acting dean of this new faculty, prof. Slaviša Nedeljković, Ph.D., told "Politika" that the Government's decision was met with approval by the Serbian public.
"Even in anticipation of this decision, we noted positive reactions and interest among academics in the work at the Faculty of Serbian Studies. These are professors and researchers from various fields — from general and national history of the Middle Ages, through comparative linguistics and the history of Russian and other Slavic languages, to Serbian literature of the 20th century, literary theory and dialectology. This enthusiasm and willingness to contribute to the development of the new institution best speaks of the importance that this faculty already has in the scientific and educational space." of Serbia."
However, Jovanović indicates that out of 30 or so professors, only 13 gave their support, and that around 26 of them were against it.
"One-third of the professors who directly participated in this hid from everyone else that they were going to work at another faculty. This is really morally very problematic, not to mention professionalism," emphasizes Professor Jovanović.
She adds that when it comes to students, according to her information, they actually offer a lot of resistance to transfer to that faculty.
Petition for annulment of the decision on the establishment of the Faculty of Serbian Studies
No clarification from the Government
Jovanović points out that the Government of Serbia did not give any clarification, but that they tried to "deceive the new administration by talking about some kind of talks, negotiations and agreements".
"There were no conversations because there were no relevant interlocutors. Our dean was invited and he spoke with representatives of the political party (Movement for the People and the State). So, with irrelevant persons who spoke from I don't know what position, but certainly not from the position of someone who has credibility in the academic community," emphasized the "Vremena" interviewee.
Jovanović concludes that he believes that this is "revenge" for the students of the Faculty of Philosophy, who are looking for answers for the victims of the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad and the professors who stood by their students.
